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Steve Alexander

Offseason Beat

NBA Draft: Team Needs

Here’s a look at what each NBA team might be looking for on draft day, which is June 28, while the lottery to determine the Top 14 picks will be held this Wednesday. I’ve also listed each team’s prominent pending free agents.

The Hawks are set at PF and SG with Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson, and possibly SF if they’re able to use Horford at PF and Josh Smith at SF. Jeff Teague also appears to be a solid point guard option going forward. With Hinrich being an unrestricted free agent, they could certainly use another guard. But as usual, center is their glaring weakness, while Marvin Williams is better served off the bench than in the starting lineup. If they can get a starting center, like Fab Melo from Syracuse, they could start Horford at PF, Smith at SF, Johnson at SG, Teague at PG and bring Williams off the bench. But starting a rookie like Melo at C is risky business, meaning veteran C Zaza Pachulia could be in the starting lineup on opening night.

It’s anyone’s guess as to whether any of the above players are back in Boston next year, but we do know that they are set at point guard with Rajon Rondo, have Avery Bradley (after shoulder surgery) set to replace Allen, and badly need a center in their current state. And if Bass leaves, they’ll also need a power forward. Andrew Nicholson from St. Bonaventure and Fab Melo from Syracuse will be two guys they’ve got their eye on.

Charlotte – High lottery pick

Needs – PF and SF

Bismack Biyombo looks like a promising center, while Kemba Walker, D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson have the guard positions covered. It’s hard to see Corey Maggette having much left in the tank, while Byron Mullens may not be the answer at power forward. This team needs forwards badly, and should target them in the draft. And if they happen to get lucky and hit the lottery, Kentucky's Anthony Davis will not only be the best player available, but would also fill a gaping hole.

Dallas is hoping to land Deron Williams, but that’s obviously not a guarantee. They are somewhat set with Shawn Marion at SF and Dirk Nowitzki at PF, but after that, it’s a bit of a crapshoot. Maybe Ian Mahinmi and Brendan Haywood can take care of the center duties again, leaving their potential focus on the two guard positions. Dion Waiters from Syracuse will be a guy they look at closely here.

Here’s a look at what each NBA team might be looking for on draft day, which is June 28, while the lottery to determine the Top 14 picks will be held this Wednesday. I’ve also listed each team’s prominent pending free agents.

The Hawks are set at PF and SG with Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson, and possibly SF if they’re able to use Horford at PF and Josh Smith at SF. Jeff Teague also appears to be a solid point guard option going forward. With Hinrich being an unrestricted free agent, they could certainly use another guard. But as usual, center is their glaring weakness, while Marvin Williams is better served off the bench than in the starting lineup. If they can get a starting center, like Fab Melo from Syracuse, they could start Horford at PF, Smith at SF, Johnson at SG, Teague at PG and bring Williams off the bench. But starting a rookie like Melo at C is risky business, meaning veteran C Zaza Pachulia could be in the starting lineup on opening night.

It’s anyone’s guess as to whether any of the above players are back in Boston next year, but we do know that they are set at point guard with Rajon Rondo, have Avery Bradley (after shoulder surgery) set to replace Allen, and badly need a center in their current state. And if Bass leaves, they’ll also need a power forward. Andrew Nicholson from St. Bonaventure and Fab Melo from Syracuse will be two guys they’ve got their eye on.

Charlotte – High lottery pick

Needs – PF and SF

Bismack Biyombo looks like a promising center, while Kemba Walker, D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson have the guard positions covered. It’s hard to see Corey Maggette having much left in the tank, while Byron Mullens may not be the answer at power forward. This team needs forwards badly, and should target them in the draft. And if they happen to get lucky and hit the lottery, Kentucky's Anthony Davis will not only be the best player available, but would also fill a gaping hole.

Dallas is hoping to land Deron Williams, but that’s obviously not a guarantee. They are somewhat set with Shawn Marion at SF and Dirk Nowitzki at PF, but after that, it’s a bit of a crapshoot. Maybe Ian Mahinmi and Brendan Haywood can take care of the center duties again, leaving their potential focus on the two guard positions. Dion Waiters from Syracuse will be a guy they look at closely here.

The Pacers pride themselves on depth and don’t have any glaring holes, except for not having a true superstar (sorry, Danny Granger). They should be looking for the best player available, which could be Washington combo guard Tony Wroten.

The Clippers could lose several key players and don’t even have a first-round pick, as Boston will likely get it due to the Eric Bledsoe deal. They do have a late second-round pick, but don’t look for the Clippers to improve much through the draft this year. They’re obviously set with Chris Paul, Caron Butler, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the starting lineup, but could use a shooting guard if several of the aforementioned players leave.

Sessions has a player option but you have to think he’ll stick with the Lakers, while a major shakeup could be coming for L.A. Pau Gasol is on thin ice, while Kobe Bryant isn’t thrilled with his current supporting cast. As it stands now, the Lakers have the final pick in the draft, and without taking the shakeup into consideration, their biggest need is at SF.

The Bucks are set at guard with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis in the backcourt, but losing Delfino and Ilyasova would leave some holes. Add in the fact they traded Andrew Bogut, and they’ll be looking for anyone with size with their picks. They do have swingman Mike Dunleavy, and big men Ekpe Udoh and Drew Gooden, but they will be targeting more guys with size in the draft. Carolina’s Tyler Zeller makes sense here.

The Nets don’t have a pick until No. 57 and the status of Deron Williams and Brook Lopez is completely up in the air with trade talk, and whether Williams opts-in or not. They’re likely going to need replacements for both Williams and Humphries, but won’t find them at the end of the draft.

Lin, Novak and Fields could all end up back in New York, but it depends on how the Bird Rule falls, which won’t be decided until mid-June. The only thing we really know is that Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will be back and locked into starting jobs. The Knicks, who don’t have a pick until late in Round 2, will simply be taking the best player available, unless they find out they’re going to lose Lin, which will mean they take a point guard. J.R. Smith will likely opt-in, and could start at SG in New York next season.

Dwight Howard appears to be on his way out, which could mean the Magic will completely rebuild from the ground up. Coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith are already gone, and Howard will likely be dealt this summer. And their draft will depend on who is still on the roster, but as of now, with Nelson likely gone, look for them to target a point guard, like Dion Waiters out of Syracuse.

A lot (obviously) depends on what Williams and Brand do, but they’ll also have a hole at center if Hawes leaves. They are set at PG (Jrue Holiday), SG (Evan Turner) and SF (Andre Iguodala), meaning that they will likely be looking for a big man. Nikola Vucevic looks like a solid option at C going forward, so power forward Arnett Moultrie, out of Mississippi State, makes a lot of sense for the Sixers – even if Brand stays.

What don’t the Blazers need? The No. 1 thing they are looking for is a little luck after years of the bad variety, while Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge are the best things they have going. Center is an obvious hole, as is point guard if Felton bails out. With two lottery picks, the Blazers have a chance to do something right this summer, and UConn SG Jeremy Lamb, Duke SG Austin Rivers, UNC C Tyler Zeller and UNC PG Kendall Marshall are all serious possibilities for their two early picks.

It’s hard to see Duncan playing in any other uniform, especially after how well he played this season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gregg Popovich and company retain Diaw, as well. The Spurs are possibly the best team in the league right now and don’t have any holes. Therefore, they’ll be looking for the best player available with the second-to-last pick in the draft. No first-round pick? No problem.

The Jazz have PG Devin Harris, SG/SF Gordon Hayward, and PF/C Paul Millsap/Derrick Favors, and Al Jefferson, so the big hole is at SF, especially if Miles and Howard are gone. It looks like Alec Burks could be the starting SF next season, especially since the Jazz won’t pick until late in the second round. Look for them to take a small forward (Will Barton from Memphis?) when they’re finally on the clock.

Steve "Dr. A" Alexander is the senior editor for the NBA for Rotoworld.com and a contributor to NBCSports.com. The 2014-15 NBA season marks his 13th year of covering fantasy hoops for Rotoworld. Follow him on Twitter - @Docktora.Email :Steve Alexander